Stevenson Village offers great mix of shops, personal service

Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens on their Super Bowl win! Does anyone have their voice back yet? Now back to our regularly scheduled lives …

Countless times I have driven by Stevenson Village, tucked in the crossroads of Stevenson, Old Valley, and Hillside Roads.and never really paid attention to the businesses.

The Beall family owned the center eons ago, and the shops were once tenant homes. In the 1940s, there was an auto dealership on the property and in the 1970s, Stevenson Village evolved with 30,000 square feet of space to lease. The beauty shop is an original shop that is still standing, and the post office was there, too. The Beall brothers started the Coffee with T business, which is now the Stone Mill Bakery.

Three years ago, Max Realty took over the center and updated it . New awnings grace the front of the center, LED lighting shines from the buildings and parking lots, and new benches offer shoppers a respite. Come summer, Stone Mill will have an outdoor BBQ pit and outdoor seating.

The tenant mix is good , as is the customer service. Accents Limited has been a flower shop for 35 years. Morgan Truesdell's Gifts and Chocolate is wonderful. Cocoa Couture offers space for cupcake parties where the guests can decorate their own cupcakes. The Velvet Chocolatiers use all natural and raw ingredients and sweeten with honey, and the candy is Kosher. College students from Stevenson University are hired to help in the shop. Their signature candy, the chocolate caramel cup is Oprah's favorite (yes, that Oprah!)

Businesses that have relocated to this village include Worthington Antiques from Butler Road and Joanna Gray Shoes from Cross Keys. There are now 20 businesses at the center,. Many thanks to Aaron Max for the tour and history of Stevenson Village; it is a quaint shopping venue where personal service is the norm and patrons know each other by name.

For those looking for a job, Jewish Community Services (JCS) offers "Keys to a Successful Job Search" a program sfor teens ages 14-19. Participants can meet one-on-one with a professional JCS Career Coach for advice on their search for a job. The job fair will be held March 3 from 1-4 p.m. at the Weinberg Park Heights JCC, 5700 Park Heights Avenue. Free workshops for teens are also offered at the Mitchell David Teen Center, 9621 Reisterstown Road in Owings Mills. The workshops are available on Tuesdays this winter from 6-7:30 p.m.

It's that time again for fresh fruit from the Sunshine State. Cedarmere Elementary PTA sponsors the citrus sale every year for several months, and it's proven to be a profitable fundraiser . Choose from red seedless grapefruit, Temple oranges, honey tangerines and California navel oranges. The order deadline is Feb. 21 for a March 8 and 9 delivery date at the school, 17 Nicodemus Road. Call 410-526-7060 for information or to place an order.

Get well wishes go out to Calvin Freeman, who had an unwanted birthday present when he went to Ocean City, Md., to celebrate his 84th birthday Dec. 28. Unfortunately, he suffered a fall in the middle of the night, and broke his right ankle and lower leg. Surgery corrected the problem, and the cast is now off as a walking boot has replaced it. He is recovering at PowerBack on Falls Road and hopes to return home in the next week or so. His daughter, Michele Freeman, threw a Super Bowl party for him at the rehab center, and invited his roommate and his son to join them. A good time was had by all.

February is chock full of birthdays and I'd like to wish a happy 60th to my husband, Billy, on the 15th. It's hard to believe he has reached this number already; where have the years gone?

Jodi Often will be celebrating her 28th birthday on Feb. 21 and she is hoping for no snow. For countless years as she was growing up, it would always snow around and on her birthday, necessitating a cancellation of her birthday party. Here's to a happy, snow-free birthday this year.

Wishing a Happy Valentine's Day to all those sweethearts out there. May you get a mushy card, flowers, and chocolates or at least a hug and an "I love you."